Blog :: DDR Museum

Special exhibitions

A Trip to the DDR - "The Journey of my Life"

Chapter 7: The Kissing Issue

1987 in Ethiopia. Shimelis lived in a camp for children who became victims of the war. One day he was allowed to visit the DDR - a life changing experience. It was the first and only time for him to visit another country. For a couple of months he visited the Pioneer Republic "Wilhelm Pieck". It was a time of many "firsts". Read more

Special exhibitions

A Trip to the DDR - "The Journey of my Life"

Chapter 6: Pioneer Republic "Wilhelm Pieck"

Shimelis arrived at night in the Pioneer Republic "Wilhelm Pieck". After his flight with Interflug from Ethiopia and one culture shock after the other he finally arrived in the DDR. Slowly, he started to make friends and felt comfortable in the new world he was thrown into. Read more

Special exhibitions

A Trip to the DDR - "The Journey of my Life"

Chapter 5: Welcome to the DDR

A few weeks ago, Shimelis sent a shout-out for his old friends, and one heard the call. Constanze Prehl was still an amharic student, when she was sent to Pionierrepublik "Wilhelm Pieck" as an interpreter for a delegation of young ethiopians. Shimelis remembers her from the second on he stepped out of the Interflug airplane. Read more

Special exhibitions

A Trip to the DDR - "The Journey of my Life"

Chapter 4: Take-Off with Interflug

Do you remember your first ever flight? After Shimelis' father never came back from war, he went to a special camp for children. For years he hoped to get chosen as part of a delegation to visit another country. Finally the day came and he was sent to the DDR. How do you travel from Ethiopia to the DDR in 1987? Shimelis still remembers very well... Read more

Special exhibitions

A trip to the DDR - "The journey of my life"

Chapter 3: New Horizons

Shimelis Haile Aga was born into Ethiopia's chaotic times of war. He was sent into a children's camp with many other kids who's families became the victims of the war. Some chosen children were allowed to join an exchange program to other socialist countries in the world. After years of waiting, he was finally chosen too, but everything went different to what he expected. Read more

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Relics of the DDR

Relics of the DDR

The Soviet Embassy in Berlin

The heavy block of the Russian embassy with its large iron gate stands strangely alien among the functional office buildings of the sixties. Yet the building, which opened in 1952, is by no means a foreign body in the German capital. Read more

Special exhibitions

A Trip to the DDR - "The Journey of my Life"

Chapter 2: Living on the Battlefield

Shimelis Haile Aga visited the DDR in 1987. He still remebers his journey vividly, also because his story began far less memorable. It all started in the troubling times of war between Ethiopia and Somalia. As many young men, also Shimelis' father was sent to the battlefield, and thousands of families and children were left behind. Read more

Special exhibitions

A Trip to the DDR - "The Journey of my Life"

Chapter 1: Born into Chaos

Meet Shimelis Haile Aga, 44 years old, born and raised in Ethiopia. The only other country he has ever seen, does'nt exist anymore. Today he tells the story about his trip to the DDR - the journey of his life - a story, that begins in Ethiopia's troubled late 1970s. Read more

Special exhibitions

A Trip to the DDR - "The Journey of my Life"

Introduction: Looking for old Friends

A trip to the DDR changed his life: This is the story of the ethiopian Shimelis Haile Aga, who visited the DDR in 1987 - the only other country he has ever seen since. In a series of ten articles, he will tell his story of war and confusion, and the short escape with Interflug to a wonderland named DDR. Read more

Museum news

Looking for guidance experts!

We are looking for you!

As of now, we are looking for guidance experts, who can perform tours in Danish and/or French for the DDR Museum? Read more

Zero-Euro-Banknote in the DDR Museum.

It's adorned with a big zero, nonetheless everyone wants a copy. The Zero-Euro-Banknote has arrived in the DDR Museum. How did this come about? Text by Nina Krasemann. (03.07.2017) Translation by Rebecca Hall. (07.07.2017) Read more

From the collection

The DDR Museum unpacked

#unboxingDDR - Pocket Calculator "konkret 200"

The DDR Museum presents the first unboxing series of historical objects. One minute clips show the diversity of original DDR artifacts. This time we unpack the pocket calculator "konkret 200", commentated by Head of Collection Jörn Kleinhardt. Read more

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Relics of the DDR

What remains

The Schwalbe

Nowadays, the moped »Schwalbe« is iconic. This article explores its history and survival through German reunification in more detail. Read more

DDR recipes

Cook yourself

Tasty barbecue recipes for men

On occasion of Father’s Day, today we would like to present you some delicious grill recipes out of the DDR cookbook “Was Männer gerne kochen” (German for “What men like to cook”). But I am convinced that, during a barbecue for example, you will be able to impress the female guests, as well! Read more

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Relics of the DDR

What remains

And what should stay? Thoughts on remembering the DDR

Until the present day, remembering the DDR has many diverse facets and the relics from the past are powerfully present, as they are still keeping it alive. Some thoughts on commemorative culture. Read more

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GDR history

Architecture

Berlin - the Socialist city

After the Second World War, more than 30% of the housing stock, 85% of classrooms and 80% of hospital rooms in Berlin were destroyed. What was to rise up from the ruins of the capital? The Socialist Unity Party (SED) saw a chance to include the rebirth of the city into the newly founded German Democratic Republic. Read more

GDR history

History

Topic traffic: The Trabant

The undisputed symbol of everyday life in the GDR was the Trabant, which means »companion« in German, and indeed the automobile accompanied the lives of many GDR citizens like a faithful friend - first as a dream, because you had to wait up to 16 years for a new car, then as a status symbol, a vehicle to drive and a hobby. Read more

From the collection

Collection

Valuable additions to the collection of the DDR Museum

The collection of a museum is never truly complete. In the following text we will introduce some objects which have been recently added to the collection of the DDR Museum. Read more

DDR recipes

Bake on your own

Easter bread

Why do we necessarily need an easter basket made of plastic or another material to fill it with easter eggs and other treats? Read more

DDR tourism

Travel

Altenburg

Altenburg is known worldwide as the city of playing cards and the game of skat. It is located in the county of Thuringia in the rural district Altenburger Land and is a former seat of royal power. Read more